Xenotransplantation and Informed Consent

Xenotransplantation and Informed Consent
Book Chapter
Daniel J. Hurst
Xenotransplantation, 22 June 2023 [Springer]
Abstract
Xenotransplantation (XTx; particularly, pig-to-human transplant) clinical trials of solid organs are likely on the horizon. There is a rich literature noting ethical issues that are particular to XTx clinical trials. Because of these ethical particularities and peculiarities, the informed consent process for XTx has been seen by some commentators as a very challenging endeavor. While organ transplant appears to be on the verge of a wave of XTx clinical trials, it can be surprising that more recent standardized guidance on proper informed consent for these trials is largely missing from the literature. This chapter provides an overview of where the major debates in XTx informed consent lay and attempts to provide some clarity for a way forward.